Raven's Plight
by titangirl797
Summary: Deathstroke the Terminator has a new apprentice: his own daughter, Rose. With his new asset, how could the Titans even hope to win? - Not originally planned as romantic, but I'm going to change that a bit. Cartoon/comic cross, thanks to later characters.
1. Chapter 1

Titangirl here, with another dramatic achievement in the field of writing. Well, maybe not. If you want that, go read stories by LegendMaker. Here are a few ground rules:

This story is rated really high due to: bad language, possible sexual scenes, violence, death, and dark situations. I have no idea whether I am good at making fight scenes detailed, but if I am, then expect them to be graphic!

This is a first try for me in the way of dark stories. My story, Something's Different may have a hint of a dark tinge to it, but this is major for me, even if it isn't for you. I am new at this so constructive criticism, not flames, are desired.

Terra is, once again, alive in my story. Back story still pending.

Some DCU characters that I haven't used before will appear in this story, and two I have will as well. Possibly more.

Just so people don't get confused later on in the story, Jump is where the Titans are, Gotham is where Batsy is, Bludhaven has no one except the future Nightwing to look forward to, Keystone is the Flash's town, Star City is Green Arrow's city, Metropolis is the Man of Steel's, and I am placing the Doom Patrol in California…somewhere.

I hope that you like this story, as it really is a new undertaking for me. It may not seem that bad to you, but to me, a sensitive Roman Catholic girl…it is. Enjoy and review!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, Batman, the Martian Manhunter, Superman, the Flash, Wonder Woman, or any other DC related super hero or villain.

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The Teen Titans have operated out of Jump City for a while now, never changing members, always getting the villain, always playing the part of the hero. But today, the dream city will shatter into pieces as the Fates snap that final string of life that one person clings to. One that has been cut before but returned, stronger than ever. The Fates do not understand, nor do they try to. The fates have been sealed. Another monumental death is to occur today. But dear Fates, do watch that string, won't you?

The Teen Titans, super heroes.

Robin, the Boy Wonder, protégé to Batman, the World's Greatest Detective.

Starfire, the alien princess, ruler of an entire planet that she left in space so that she might defend the weak planet of Earth.

Beast Boy, the changeling, shape shifter extraordinaire, ex member of the famed Doom Patrol.

Raven the half demon sorceress, daughter of Trigon the Terrible and the darkest member of the team.

Cyborg, the half-robot, characteristically described as the tin man with a heart.

Terra, the geokinetic Markovian princess, still attempting to gain control over her extensive powers.

He wanted none of them. None of them would do. Robin was too loyal, trained by the idiotic Bat to fight evil and protect the innocent. Was anyone innocent these days? Even the most shy and sensitive teen could be found doing the naughty, drunk at some high school party where pills are passed around like candy. Sickening, all of it.

Terra, no. She had been tried. She failed the final test, the elimination of the Teen Titans. Another potential partner ruined because she felt like having some friends. Friends that would never be true friends. Friends that would never truly forgive her for the past, the past she tries too hard to forget.

And Raven, spawn of a demon. She would turn out to be just like her father, an ignorant demon who craved power but never had the cunning to just take what he wanted. He always fought for it, like some Crusade back in the days when chivalry was still young.

Fathers. What they do to even the best people. Batman, Trigon, who next?

Fathers.

_Fathers._

Fathers had prospective power over their children, molding them into whatever they chose for them to be. Fathers had influence. Fathers had supremacy. A child of his. That's what he needed for success.

Where had that beautiful daughter of his gotten to?

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_Paris, France. November 16__th__, 2007._

_Four years. Four years in a small house in France._

_Three months. Three months until she could leave to make her own way in the world._

_Seventeen. She was seventeen years old, living in Paris with her adoptive family. Her lovely Parisian mother and straight-edge father. Her beautiful younger sister, Isabelle, with the blonde hair that flowed in the wind. Leon, her creative art teacher, whose private classes she took on the weekend to better her skill. Emilio, her boyfriend of two years._

"_Bonjor, mademoiselle. Comment allez-vous?" Snapped out of her reverie, Rose Wilson shook her white-blonde hair out of her eyes and took in this stranger. He was clad in jeans and a plain black shirt, a motorcycle jacket thrown on haphazardly. She wondered how he could stand the biting cold of the November winds. It was forty-eight when she left the house approximately two hours previously, and night was falling. It must be only thirty degrees out. She shivered just thinking about the temperature. She preferred the heat of California to the arctic tundra she was in now. Remembering the stranger, she replied._

"_Je suis bon, monsieur. Merci de demander." She was fine, if not a bit cold. She shivered and grasped her parka a bit closer. She stood to leave, picking up her art supplies from the ground beside her. She could not see the stranger. She hoped he wasn't checking her out. She turned again and saw the stranger looking…well, actually, she didn't know where he was looking. Dark sunglasses hid the man's eyes. Suddenly, Rose became very scared. She decided to say goodbye to the man once and for all, and then simply leave._

"_Au revoir, monsieur," Rose said, anxious to get away from the creepy older man. She turned to leave. That's when she felt the hand on her shoulder. She knew it was him. Then, she felt him speak into her ear, in a low but urgent voice._

"_Rose, si vous souhaitez revoir votre petite soeur, vous me rencontrerez sur Tour Eiffel à minuit exactement, pas une minute tard. Comprenez-vous?"_

_Rose had to mentally take time to understand, shocked as she was._

"_Rose, if you wish to see your little sister again, you will meet me on top of the Eiffel Tower at exactly midnight, not a minute late. Do you understand?"_

_Suddenly Rose was overwhelmed with two emotions, fear and hatred. Fear for Isabelle, the girl of only six. And hatred. She hated that this man, this monster had violated her family, had violated her! He couldn't hold her family hostage!_

_Unable to speak, thoroughly shocked with fear and loathing, Rose only nodded mutely._

"_Good," the man whispered in French. No, everything was not good. She felt the hand lift from her shoulder. She spun, intent on facing her quarry, but no one was there. The cold November breeze blew by, silent as a mouse. She waited._

_Three seconds._

_Five seconds._

_Fifteen seconds._

_She headed home, knowing that Isabelle was in trouble and she was going to help the little girl._

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_Rose Wilson felt sick to her stomach. Climbing out her window into the freezing night was not usually part of her nightly game plan. Food, homework, boyfriend, draw, sleep. It was strange to get up from her comfortable down bed at 8:30 p.m. and dress in black jeans, a grey long-sleeved shirt, a black silky vest, and a comfy black winter jacket. She was not taking her chances with the French cold._

_At nine o'clock exactly, Rose propped open her window, pausing only to grab her phone, iPod, and some money. She had no idea how long she would be gone for or if she would even come back. She had given some thought to that idea. If she could not save Isabelle, then she would simply not return. It never occurred to her to call the police._

_Rose's parents had been out all day, first at work, then a lunch/business meeting, more work, important dinner with a client, and then a fancy charity gala event. Her adoptive parents thought that she had tucked in Isabelle and was heading to bed early. Poor, poor Gabrielle and Jacque. They had no idea that both their daughters would be gone in one night, possibly never returning._

_Rose lifted herself out of her bedroom window, climbing onto an ivy covered trellis situated on the wall near the window. She jumped – hoping for a save grab for the lattice – and managed to attach herself to the wall. Rose climbed down slowly, having difficulty keeping her hands from shaking in the cold air. She briefly wondered why she hadn't worn gloves._

_Now, why hadn't lovely Rose just gone out the front door? It was a mixture of not wanting the neighbors to see her leave and wanting to act like a super spy. Personally, I'm sure the latter was more important at the moment._

_She reached the ground and headed for her bike. They lived about ten feet outside the city limits, but until then, she had to ride. Then, she'd chain up her bike and hop on the metro._

_Riding fast, Rose sped to the Eiffel Tower. She was needed. Her poor sister needed her. Who knew what that madman would do to her? She rode faster. Finally reaching the metro, she hopped on, scanning her pass from earlier. It took her twenty minutes to reach the Eiffel Tower. She checked her phone. It was 10:36, giving her plenty of time to figure out a strategy. She glanced over at the Tower, taking in its sheer size and security. Tourists were allowed in the historic monument from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. between September 1__st__ to December 31__st__. She realized that she had to get up there quickly if she wanted to get in at all. Rushing to the entrance of the Eiffel Tower, she quickly dashed to the elevator, which would only take her to the second floor. Quickly hitting the button for another elevator, Rose checked her phone again. 10:48._

_She stepped onto the second elevator, allowing three French teenagers out of it, first, and hit the button for the top of the Tower. When she reached the top, she glanced around. An elderly couple was just heading for the elevator and a family of American tourists was staring out over the edge of the Tower, taking pictures. Rose thought, tapping her foot. Quickly getting an idea, Rose went to the railing of the Tower, rapidly climbing it and hiding out of sight, the frozen wind biting at her fingers. There she waited._

_A minute._

_Five minutes._

_Seven minutes._

_Ten minutes._

"_Rose, veuillez descendre ici." She would have recognized his voice anywhere. That silky, smooth tone almost made her want to believe that nothing bad was going to happen. She climbed down, just like he asked her to. He was wearing the same outfit as earlier and she noticed that he had an eye patch. She stared at him for a moment and then looked around, trying to spot her darling little sister._

"_Isabelle chérie est sûre à la maison, Rose. I jamais même eu lui. J'ai simplement demandé à sa garde d'enfants de la garder pendant quelques plus d'heures."_

_Rose was shocked. He had never even touched Isabelle! He had just left her at the babysitter! Relief washed over Rose, but didn't stay long._

_Cautiously, she stepped back. If he didn't have Isabelle, what did he want from her? Money? She had none of that. Sex? She'd only had sex twice, both times with Emilio, and she wasn't about to let herself be raped._

"_Qui… qui sont vous?" Rose asked, her French stuttering out unevenly. The man smiled at her, a smooth, almost loving smile._

"_Je suis votre père, Rose, et je veux que vous veniez avec moi."_

"_Impossible," Rose breathed, not sure if she was still speaking French or had reverted into her natural English. She stared at the white haired man and suddenly felt…as if he would not lie._

"_We have the same hair, Rose. The same blue eyes, the same mind," he said, stepping forward, toward the girl he was frightening so._

_Rose shook her head and said, "My mother died and my father was never part of my life. If you are he, why would you return now?"_

"_I discovered you, my Rose, and I wish for you to join me. I love you and I want to be a family," he said, finally getting close enough to wrap his arms around the teenager._

"_I barely know you. What is your name? Where do you live? What do you do? Why now?" she asked, feeling protected by the man's arms. "And why fake having my sister to draw me near. Why not just tell me in the park?"_

"_I couldn't tell you then, Rose. The time was not right and I needed you to not be able to just get up and run. It was too public for our reunion. As for your other questions, my name is Slade Wilson and I live in Jump City, California."_

"_California? I used to live there," Rose said, slowly slipping out of her father's arms. "What do you do?" she asked again._

"_I do what my employers wish me to do," he said, not answering her question directly._

_Just then, like a flash of light, Rose Wilson saw something. Something that was not happening at this very moment._

"_You're a mercenary!" she gasped, understanding what her vision meant. She had seen her father, in exactly the same position he was currently in, telling her his occupation._

_Slade looked amazed. "How did you know?" he asked, noting that he had been about to tell her that._

"_I…saw it. Like a vision," Rose said, furrowing her brow. Slade thought quickly. This put a hitch in his plans. Luckily, Deathstroke the Terminator always has a backup plan._

"_I have been expecting this," he said, improvising._

"_You have?" she asked, surprised. He nodded and pulled out a syringe._

"_Here, Rose. This will help," he said. She held out her arm, trusting him even though she'd just met him. He smiled at her as he inserted the needle into her vein, emptying the syringe and allowing the toxin, a super-serum that had been previously used on him in his army days, to spread through her system._

_Rose felt a stab of pain in her stomach, a stab of pain that spread from her abdomen all through her body. She looked at her father, expecting trickery. He smiled down at her and said, "Just give it a moment, Rose, dear."_

_She waited, but the pain only got worse. She gulped and swallowed, suddenly very thirsty. Suddenly, the pain was gone, replaced by a soft, mellow feeling, as if she were floating. She realized that she was lying on the floor, and apparently had been convulsing. He father hovered over her, checking her pulse and breathing._

"_Rose? Are you alright, daughter?" he asked, saying the word 'daughter' almost possessively. Rose nodded and stood up, her balance more on target than it ever had been before._

"_Will you come with me, Rose? Please, for your father."_

_Rose looked slightly hesitant. Slade continued speaking._

"_Aimez-vous voir ce que votre père fait pour une vie, Rose? Aidez-moi, Rose. Aidez-moi à tuer les Teen Titans."_

_Rose nodded. She wanted to do this now. She knew that helping her father would be the best thing ever. She had a real family now._

"_Oh, daddy, this is going to be so much fun!" Rose said, embracing her father._


	2. Chapter 2

Titans Tower was a generally happy place, full of teenagers that enjoyed what they did, that were happy to live together, to have friends, to have a family.

The Teen Titans were truly the best of friends. They may not always act like it, but they cared and loved each other.

Twilight was an interesting time of day for the Teen Titans. It usually consisted of fighting over dinner and video games, but everything else was subject to change.

_Beep. Beep._

Starfire noticed the gemstone, an emerald actually, on her costume when it began to blink. She stood, flexing her legs, and prepared to leave her overly pink (not to her) room. She reached the door and followed Beast Boy, the changeling, as he ran to the common room. Beast Boy was the only other Titan on her floor, and she enjoyed his company, but perhaps not as much as Robin's, the team leader. Robin had been trained under Batman, the world's greatest detective and masker of emotions. He had passed both of these traits to Robin, something Starfire didn't understand; her cultural background thrived on emotions and the way they were expressed.

She flew to the main room and saw that the other five Titans were already there. Yes, five. Terra, the geomancer, had seen the light, possibly too late, and was transformed into a living statue, a memory made of rock and granite. Thankfully, Cyborg was able to reverse the process, and, after giving her memories back, Terra was once again a Teen Titan, even though the public distrusted her, with good reason.

Starfire focused her attention on Robin speaking.

"Slade bots are swarming the Jump City Museum, but not stealing anything. It must be a message." Robin slammed his fist on the giant computer and then turned to the Titans again.

"Cyborg, I want you to stay here in case there are any sneak attacks on the Tower. Everyone else, let's go."

All Titans except for Cyborg ran out of the room, heading for the garage. Starfire and Robin were riding the R-Cycle and the other three would use their methods of travel to get to the museum.

_Something doesn't feel right…_ Raven thought as she flew through the air, following Beast Boy and Terra. She shook her head slightly, as if trying to clear it. _It's just not like Slade,_ she thought. _He doesn't usually attack places for no reason. He must be trying to get us there, but why?_

Raven didn't get a chance to think much more as she had reached the museum. Sighing, she landed, preparing to attack. No Slade bots were in sight, but they often jumped out at you when you were least expecting it.

"Okay, Titans. Be ready for anything," Robin said as they entered the museum that didn't appear to be swarming with Slade bots. In fact, it was totally empty.

"Okay, what's going on? Wasn't this place crawling with Slade bots, like, five minutes ago?" Beast Boy asked Robin, confused. He wasn't the only one that was confused. The team just stood there, bewildered, waiting for the robots to jump out of the shadows.

"Yeah, it was. Spread out, Titans, and be careful." Robin and Starfire split off, heading toward the back of the museum. Terra and Beast Boy split off as well, walking toward the caveman section, Beast Boy cracking jokes the whole way.

Raven was left by herself, as she preferred it. She breathed in deeply, deciding that she would use her soul-self to search the entire museum in a matter of minutes. She levitated into the air, crossing her legs, and closed her eyes. She floated in a world of her own, of stars and quiet. A place where no one could get to her. Her soul-self flowed out of her, flying like a shadow into the air. It was getting darker outside and would soon be pitch black.

Raven hunted, she searched, with her soul-self but could find no one in the museum.

_Slash._

Raven cried out as something hard and metallic, a sword perhaps, cut into her back, slicing deeply. She crumpled to the floor.

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Terra and Beast Boy had heard Raven's scream. Running toward the noise, Beast Boy pulled out his communicator, dialing Robin's code. He ran while waiting for Robin's face to appear on the screen.

_Robin here. You heard Raven too?_

"Yeah, man, it sounded like she was hurt bad, and I can smell blood."

Beast Boy saw Robin's eyes narrow behind the mask.

_Okay, get there quickly._

Beast Boy shut the communicator before responding. He and Terra had reached the room that they had arrived in. He glanced around, looking for Raven in her dark blue cloak. He saw her, curled into a ball on the floor, with no one around her.

The smell of blood, the iron smell, got stronger, thicker, as he neared the girl on the ground. He bent over her, Terra staying back behind him, keeping a lookout. Raven's eyes were closed, her breathing uneven. Beast Boy searched for the wound, touching her gently, a move that forced his heart rate to climb. He found the deep cut on her shoulder blade. He made sure not to touch it as he ripped the parts of Raven's cloak that were stuck in it off.

"Beast Boy? How's Raven?" Beast Boy heard Robin's voice behind him and Starfire's little gasp as she realized that her friend was injured. Beast Boy looked up.

"She's lost some blood; it was a deep cut. I think she's gonna be okay. Big thing to worry about right now is who did this to her and whether they're still here."

"Of course I'm still here, Beast Boy. Do you think I would leave after only playing with one of you?"

Slade stepped out of the shadows, his cool voice terrifying next to the darkening sky. Perhaps he smiled under the mask, but his tone changed to something more conversational. More…happy.

"But, I must admit, I wasn't the one who maimed your friend. Even I could not be that precise in the cut. One slice down the back, over the shoulder blade, enough for it to hurt a lot, but not bleed out."

Robin grit his teeth. "You sadistic asshole! How the hell could it not have been you?"

"Temper, temper, bird boy. You wouldn't want to make my assistant angry."

Terra looked perplexed and then angry. "You have a new apprentice? What did you do to make her stay? Threaten to kill her family?" Slade only chuckled.

"It wouldn't be a partnership if I killed her family."

Robin noted three things at that moment. One, that Slade's new apprentice was a girl. Two, they were obviously related, which was kind of a sickening thought. And three, a slight change in the shadows behind Starfire announced the new apprentice's second attack.

"Starfire, move!" Robin yelled, jumping to her, pushing her out of the way. She went down hard and Robin was afraid he'd hurt her, but not for long. A slender hand had grabbed him by the back of his uniform, dragged him backward, and threw him to the ground.

Robin looked up into the face of his assailant. He noted the color scheme of her outfit, the same as Slade's, and the frailty of her body. She was thin, pale, and her mask covered her nose and upward, leaving her ruby red lips to smile down at him.

"Why, hello Robin. I'm glad to finally meet you. Daddy's told me so much about you," she said, smiling wider before kicking behind her, catching Beast Boy in the stomach. She picked up Robin before he had a chance to move and threw him into Terra, who was moving to attack her. She then ducked a strong punch from Starfire, which allowed her to slide her feet under the Tamaranian's, forcing Starfire to fall to the ground.

Slade did nothing to help, just watch. He did notice, however, that Raven had begun to rise. He debated telling his daughter before allowing himself to say nothing, watching to see whether her premature precognition kicked in before Raven attacked.

Apparently, it did. Slade's daughter dodged a kick from Robin, spun away from Beast Boy as a bear, and grasped one of her swords. She drew the gleaming instrument and threw it, hard, at Raven, before continuing to fight Beast Boy, Robin, and Starfire.

The sword was not intercepted by telekinetic energy, but instead by a hunk of rock, lifted from the ground before Raven with such ease that she could barely hear it rising. Terra smiled at the dark girl that she was growing closer to with each passing week before attempting to jump into the larger battle. She was thrown back by Beast Boy's body crashing into her. Apparently he had leapt at the girl but had been dodged.

Raven thought for a moment and then grasped the sword, lifting it from the ground. It was undamaged by the rock that had tried to crush it. Raven flexed her fingers around it, holding it tight. Then she attacked the girl, swinging the weapon forward in a way that Robin had taught her when she was being taught swordsmanship. All of the Titans had learned the craft, except for Starfire, who already knew how to fight using a sword. Well, actually a _glarthorb_…whatever that was.

Swinging the sword in a peculiar fashion – not exactly how Robin had taught, but okay, seeing as Raven had a shoulder wound –, Raven's attack on the girl didn't do much. She felt something hard hit her in the torso. Something cracked and Raven breathed in deeply, assessing the damage. The hit from the girl had caused two, maybe three, broken ribs. Raven stared up at the girl. _How could she be this strong?_

Raven noticed Slade standing to the side, evaluating the girl, apparently. He watched her as she dodged Robin once more and sliced into Starfire's stomach with her remaining sword. The other sword was lying feet from Raven, thrown away after the hit. Slade made no move to assist the girl. Raven stared at him, confused. He was wearing a new outfit. His black and orange armor was no more. Instead, he was wearing a blue and orange outfit that completely covered his arms and legs. A two tone mask was still in place, blue and orange as well, and the same one eye stared out of the mask. Raven noticed how many more weapons he seemed to have, his utility belt fuller, more pouches being used. It was no longer the same as Terra's utility belt. It looked more like his apprentice's, actually. And, Raven noticed with a gasp that hurt her, he was carrying more deadly weapons than he usually did. For Slade, it was normally a Bo staff or two, some explosives, and maybe some sort of detonator. In their place were two swords, criss-crossed across his back, a short hunting knife that hung at his side, and a gun, something Slade had never been seen with before.

_He's more deadly than ever._

Raven shook her head. That wasn't her voice in her head, it was rougher, masculine. She glanced over at Robin and saw him staring at Slade as well, lifting himself from his position on the floor. Both Terra and Beast Boy were down and out, moaning slightly. Raven realized that she had been neglecting her friends and focused her attention on Slade's apprentice. She could feel Robin's determination to attack Slade, so that he couldn't help the girl.

Raven flew at the masked girl, dodging her sharp single sword, allowing Starfire to get the girl in the back. The apprentice, realizing that the game was becoming more advanced, stood and flipped over Raven slicing her back yet again. Raven collapsed for a moment but allowed her soul-self to heal her back wound. She did not heal her broken ribs, afraid that there was worse to come. She couldn't afford to drain herself now. Giving Starfire the lead, Raven levitated two busts of some ancient politician and threw them at the girl, who flipped over them but was caught by a Starbolt. She fell to the ground, spat out, "Shit!", and spun on the floor, catching Starfire's feet. Raven attacked her but just then Robin was flying toward her, having been thrown wide by the mastermind criminal he had been fighting. Robin and Raven fell apart, about twenty feet from the other. Robin was seemingly unconscious.

"Ravager! End this!" Slade called, finally giving the girl a name. The Ravager flew forward; eyes crazed beneath the mask, and stabbed Robin in the stomach with her sword, allowing it to stick him to the floor. Robin's eyes went wide before he coughed, bubbling black-red blood coming up with the air. Apparently, he was awake. Starfire's eyes went wide as she rushed to help Robin, but ended up fighting Ravager instead. Raven flew over to Robin, pulling the sword out, letting the blood flow more freely. She began closing the wound, healing the stomach and abdomen muscles that had been torn when he had been pierced. At the same moment, she flipped open her communicator, calling the Tower, hoping she could get Cyborg. This fight was too out of control and not in the Titans' favor.

"Oh, no, pretty birdie, no help," a smooth voice called before a single shot ran out, one that penetrated the hard polymer of the Titans communicator. Raven glanced upward and saw Slade, several feet away, holding a smoking gun and slowly advancing on her. She began to heal faster, Robin coughing more, making the process of healing more difficult.

"Slade! Why are you doing this?" she asked as her strength slipped, healing Robin even more. The man chuckled, the sound more frightful than death itself. He stopped short of the mystic, pondering her. Then he said, "It's not Slade anymore, witch. Call me Deathstroke. Deathstroke the Terminator. It's my mercenary name, you see, and I do prefer being called it." He followed something she couldn't see with his eyes and Raven heard a thump. She hoped Starfire was getting the better of the Ravager. She finished healing Robin but needed to regain strength. She tried to keep him talking, focusing on the weaker prey, and hopefully not aiding the girl against Starfire.

"Deathstroke? Fine, then. Deathstroke, what's with the new name, the new outfit, and the new weapons?" she asked. He stepped closer and said, "This outfit isn't new, actually. It's my old one, the one I used to wear when I killed superheroes. And, of course, I had used up my best designs on Robin and Terra's outfits. I couldn't have my darling daughter looking like my old apprentices, now could I? No, I had to become something different, something you Titans hadn't seen before or you would have defeated me, as you used to."

Raven began to understand as her strength returned. Robin was right; Slade _was_ more deadly than ever. Raven heard a weak moan from behind her and she turned. What she saw was not pretty.

Starfire was lying on the ground by Ravager's feet, almost completely covered in blood. The floor around her seemed to be slick with the alien's blood. Multiple stab wounds in her lower body appeared to have provided most of the blood, but Starfire had slices on her abdomen, arms, and face as well. A large purple bruise seemed to be developing on her left arm and she was completely comatose. Ravager kicked the Tamaranian, pushing her face down in her own blood. Then the girl walked slowly toward Raven, avoiding Starfire's blood.

"She wasn't very much fun, Daddy," the psychotic girl complained, wiping her bloodied sword on Terra's hair as she passed. Raven watched hair the color of butter turn red with her ally's blood. She felt a sudden hatred bubble up inside her. She hated the Ravager. She wanted to kill her!

Ravager seemed to have noticed this anger; perhaps she even had eyes flashing red on her forehead. Either way, she spoke, and she seemed to know exactly what to say.

"Temper, temper, Raven. We wouldn't want your nasty old father getting out and ruining our fun, now would we? Awww, are you upset about your friends? Do you not like seeing their blood under my boots?"

That was it; Raven had had enough. She stood, allowing her father's essence to fill her, to make her feel the hate that she so wanted to express. She let Anger run wild, flattening Knowledge, Happy, and Love. All she felt was Anger, Sadness, and Bravery. She wanted to kill this insolent girl! Kill her!

Deep down, Raven knew that this is what Slade and Ravager wanted; her anger to come forth. She realized she was right when both Slade and Ravager attacked, swords swinging.

Pain burst forth, pain like she had never known it before. She felt more ribs crack; she felt the stab wounds as the swords entered and then left her body, preparing to create more. The dark girl fell to the floor, unable to control her emotions, unable to control her powers.

She felt Ravager leave her, felt her determination as she walked toward Beast Boy and Terra, felt Slade's pride in his only daughter. All she could do was feel, the anguish, the terror, the happiness. The psychosis was able to feel, emanating off of the crazed daughter of a killer. It hurt to feel, it hurt to breathe.

_Smash._

There went her nose; the blood poured from it like a faucet. Her healing began on it but was stopped by the other, more serious wounds. She stopped herself from healing, knowing that she needed to heal the others.

_Crunch._

Something on her lower body had smashed; a leg perhaps. She couldn't tell the difference as she felt a sword cut through her, slicing her back more thoroughly than Ravager had been able.

She felt Terra's pain as she was stabbed, maimed, injured.

Pain.

Pain.

_Pain._

She felt herself moving. Where was her assailant?

Pain.

Pain.

_Pain._

She felt her healing powers activate, the warmth of a body under her.

_Pain._

She felt a shout and another slice; her stomach, she thought. She felt herself being dragged across the room.

_Pain._

A smash into her head; the throbbing was tremendous.

_Pain._

She felt the vibrations of a shout, masculine and familiar; she reached out her hand, hitting warm flesh.

_Pain._

She triggered her healing once more, hoping it was a Titan she was hitting. Judging by the groan, it was Beast Boy, who, according to his feelings, was in much pain, as were the other Titans.

_Pain!_

_Darkness._


	3. Chapter 3

Back with another chapter, yes I am! Here's chapter three of "Raven's Plight". It was 7,168 words, which is a lot more than my usual three thousand or so; my new goal is to be above 6,000.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything by DC Comics. Absolutely none of the characters in this chapter are made by me or belong to me, so don't sue me please!

Enjoy the chapter!

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"She was stabbed in the back several times, injuring her vertebra. She also has a broken arm, four broken ribs, her left foot is crushed in three places, and she has a tear in her stomach wall. I was able to stop the internal bleeding in time, but she's going to be feeling pain for a while. The head injury was the worst but we can't seem to get her in the MRI machine. It blows up every time we try. She's in a coma, as well, and has been for a week. Is there anything else you would like to know, Miss?"

"No thank you, sir," a weak voice said. The girl watched through a window in the infirmary, examining her teammate, a teammate she was not able to help and apparently was unable to help herself. The girl turned from the glass and said, "Sir?"

The costumed man turned to the worried girl and said, "Yes?" She bit her lip and asked, "How long do you think she'll be out?"

The man sighed and said, "We're not even sure she's going to wake up, Miss."

The Tamaranian whimpered as she watched her best friend slowly die.

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"How was she?" the dark haired boy asked. He wore no mask so the alien girl could see the concern in his blue eyes. She turned her face away for a moment, afraid to speak. Then she said, "She might not wake." Cupping her face in her hands, she began to cry, sobbing hard. Dick rubbed her lower back, hoping to ease her pain. Starfire was still under medical care, even though the majority of her wounds had been removed.

"I spoke with Cyborg today," Dick said gently to the crying girl. She looked up, her face splotchy and red.

"How is he?" she asked. Cyborg was the only true Titan left at the Tower. Dick had called in some favors so the current roster of Teen Titans was a bit off. Cyborg was there, along with a friend of Dick's that was called Flamebird. Kole and Gnarrk were there, as well as another friend of Dick's named Wonder Girl. The final member of the temporary team was named Miss Martian and had been recommended by the Martian Manhunter himself.

"He's fine. He misses us, that's all, and he hopes that all of us get better so he can beat us in Super Mega Monkey Battle several thousand more times."

The true Teen Titans were all, minus Cyborg, upon the JLU Watchtower, being treated for their injuries. Robin was the least injured of all of them, with only some scrapes and tenderness in his stomach. Apparently, Raven had healed him before fighting both Slade and Ravager. Starfire had watched that happen. She shook off the thought and hugged Dick, thankful that he was alright.

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"It looks like the kids are gonna be alright," Hawkgirl said, watching Robin and Starfire embrace. She glanced over at Green Lantern, the man she appeared to be talking _at._ He grunted, "Most of them."

Hawkgirl glanced over at the ICU of their infirmary, separated from the rest by a lot of glass and curtains.

Two Teen Titans were behind that wall of bullet-proof glass; Raven and Terra, the only other girls on the team.

Terra was still critical due to her many lacerations, pains, broken bones, and wounds. Still, she wasn't as bad off as Raven. Raven wasn't even expected to live.

The girl had practically given her life to help her friends. Even when she was severely wounded and in terrible pain, she attempted to repair her friends, helping Beast Boy and Starfire heal. Now it wasn't very likely she'd even last the night.

Hawkgirl turned back to GL, saying, "She didn't give up, John. That's what counts. This would have been much worse if she hadn't tried healing them."

John Stewart, the current Green Lantern of Earth, snorted and said, "You think having two Teen Titans in the ICU is good? One's expected to die and the other might! Kids should never be heroes; it never works out."

Hawkgirl snarled and said, "They have every right to be superheroes if they want! They've always handled themselves before!"

"What would they have done if that Cyborg kid hadn't contacted us after losing Raven's signal? They're kids, Shayera! They can't take care of themselves!"

"Batman obviously thought Robin could. The Doom Patrol obviously thought Beast Boy could. Tamaran obviously thought Starfire could!"

"They were wrong, Shayera! Just look! Those two kids are _dying_, and we can barely help them. It's their fault!"

"You think it's their fault!? If she hadn't healed them…"

"If she hadn't healed them, she'd be healing the others and awake!"

Shayera Hol sighed, frustrated with the Green Lantern.

"It doesn't work that way, John. People help other people; they pay the price, whether that is good or bad."

And with that, the Thanagarian walked away.

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_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

"The heart monitor! It's off the charts!" Dr. Mid-Nite cried, attempting to help the dying sorceress.

Beast Boy, Starfire, and Robin stood at the other side of the glass, watching in horror as their friend's life failed. Raven's coma-like state was still in effect, her breathing was faltering, and her heart was going crazy.

"She can make it! We need to…" Dr. Mid-Nite was pouring out instructions to several JLU members who were aiding him. One of them closed the curtains, blocking the Titans' view of their teammate. They could only hear.

"Maybe we should incubate!"

"Her heart's giving out!"

"The bleeding! It's worse!"

_Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep._

Now, all the Titans could hear was the steady whine of the heart monitor as their friend's heart shut down, taking her with it.

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The crying was unbearable. He almost told them, just to make the sobbing end. But he didn't. He held out. He lied to them; to Dick. He kept his secrets, even though they were destroying the people around him.

Starfire, the Tamaranian, didn't seem able to stop crying. She was holding Dick, weeping into his chest while he held her, fighting back tears of his own. Members of the Bat-family didn't show weakness.

The girl Terra was pretty bad too. She sniveled, seemingly unable to control herself. Holding her hand was the changeling, Beast Boy, who was biting back tears as well.

The half-machine man, Cyborg, had been teleported to the Watchtower to comfort his friends.

The girl was dead.

The girl was dead.

No, she wasn't.

The girl wasn't dead.

If she were dead, then why would he waste his time taking her to the Batcave to heal?

Yes, her heart had given out. But then it had restarted.

He told the JLU members to tell no one; to let them think she was dead.

They fought at first but, as always, gave in to him eventually.

The death of a Teen Titan; the news would be spread.

Deathstroke and the Ravager should be pleased by this but should want to finish the job. He was trying to draw them into the light; to avenge.

Batmen swept out of the room, face set in stone, and headed for the Batplane, which was in the Javelin bay.

He left the Watchtower, feeling just as bad as when he had entered it.

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The blackness was all consuming, smothering her in its dark hold. Groaning, she felt a sharp pain in her side; a light in the darkness. Breathing deeply in and out, more pinpricks of pain began spreading throughout her body, telling her to wake.

A gasp.

"She's awake!" an unfamiliar male voice said; footsteps came closer, the heat of a body hit her.

She moaned and then opened her groggy, heavy eyes. Her vision was blurry, crawling back slowly from a deep sleep. She recognized the boy standing over her.

"Robin!" she gasped, her voice grating and rough from hours of sleep. She sat up slowly, feeling dizzy. The dark haired boy chuckled, smiling slightly.

"That's what they call me, but I'm not the Robin you know and love," the boy said, smiling wider. Raven took in the boy, noting the Robin outfit, the mask, the messy black hair.

But he was different. His costume was red, yellow, and black, not the traditional streetlight colors Robin usually wore. This Robin looked younger, perhaps fifteen or sixteen years old, his mask less angular, a smile more readily on his face.

Raven was confused. "Am…am I dead?" she breathed, taking in the large cave she seemed to be in and the table she was lying on. The boy smiled wider.

"I can see how you'd think that, but no, you're not."

"Then…where am I?" she asked, her voice slowly coming back to her. She had to remember to keep her voice even, emotionless, and monotone.

"You're in the Batcave, home of all Gotham's masked vigilantes!" the boy said, sweeping his hand, showing off the cave. Raven stared at a large penny before starting. The boy had put his hand on her arm.

"You better get decent. Batman wants to see you now that you're awake." With that, the younger Robin walked away, leaving Raven to her thoughts.

_I should…get decent?_

Raven looked down at herself. When she had sat up, she had brought the tough, cotton blanket with her, thank god.

She was naked; completely and utterly naked. Raven gasped and pulled the blanket higher. She heard a light laugh flutter to her from the shadows. She cursed the younger Robin as she pulled on the jeans and t-shirt she had noticed by the bed.

"I see you're awake," a gravelly voiced called to her. It seemed as if the voice was floating down at her. Raven glanced around seeing no one. Then, out of the shadows, a figure appeared; one she recognized very well.

Batman, the Dark Knight, the Caped Crusader, the World's Greatest Detective; all were he. He walked toward the dark girl and said, "Don't worry. The girls were the ones who took care of you."

Raven released a sigh she hadn't known she had been holding. She could have sworn Batman smiled just then but he turned away from her, facing the giant penny that she had previously been staring at. Then she spoke.

"What am I doing here? Where are my friends? Was that Robin? What 'girls'? Is anyone hurt?" She spoke so fast, words tripping over each other. Her eyes became slightly crazed.

Batman's stoic tone did not change. "I brought you here to recuperate. You were dying and you couldn't get the best care on the JLU Watchtower."

"I was on the Watchtower?"

"For almost a week, before you nearly died. Then you were moved here."

"Where are my friends? Where are the Titans?"

"They're at Titans Tower. You've been in a coma for a month."

Raven stared, open-mouthed, at the costumed man. Then she said, "Can I go home?" She spoke weakly, in a gasp. He side had begun to pain her even more.

Batman smiled faintly and shook his head. Raven's anger flared.

"Why not?" she asked, eyes blazing; Batman didn't flinch.

"The Titans believe that you died on the Watchtower."

"No!" Raven cried, standing up now. She made to walk away, to head to the Tower, to head anywhere, just to show her friends that she was alive and well. Batman put his hand on her shoulder. Without thinking, Raven attempted to flip the man. He was too heavy, so he fell to the side.

"Whoa, whoa! Batman, you alright?" the same male voice as earlier asked. The younger Robin flew into sight, swinging on a grappling hook. Batman held out his hand, stopping the kid in his tracks.

"Raven, you can't leave." He spoke as if he knew something the others did not.

"Why the hell not? You can't keep me here!" Raven roared, allowing her emotions loose. Batman said nothing.

She quieted, her sense of fair play kicking in. She wanted to hear what Batman was going to say.

He was silent for several moments and then he spoke in a tired voice.

"You aren't fully healed; it would be dangerous to leave the cave now. You need to rest."

Raven was about to speak, but the younger Robin held out his hand for her to stop. The kid recognized when Batman wanted to speak.

"The plan is to lure Deathstroke out by letting him think you're dead. His ego will swell; he'll want to finish the job."

"You're putting my friends in danger! How could you! What about Robin?" Raven yelled. The kid cut in just then.

"I'm fine, actually."

"And who the hell is this kid? Why is he dressed like Robin? Who else works with you? Why do you want me here?!"

The questions came pouring out of the dark girl, her eyes narrowing as she stared between the kid and Batman. The new Robin backed up a few steps.

Batman sighed and said, "This is Robin."

"Batman! Stop playing games with me! I know Robin and this isn't Robin!"

The man sighed again and said, "Actually, he is. The new Robin, I mean. Dick has moved on, after your death. He wanted to get away from the mantle of the Batman. He goes by Nightwing now."

Raven stared at him for a moment and then began to giggle. "So, hehe, you decided to make a new Robin, haha, to replace the one that left you? This is so Starfire!"

"I'm afraid I don't follow," Batman said, his brow creasing under his cowl. Raven looked at him as if he was touched in the head and then said, "Wait, Dick never told you?"

Batman continued to look confused, an expression that was mirrored on the new Robin's face.

"Starfire went into the future and saw Dick as a hero named Nightwing, and Beast Boy was in a cage, and Cyborg was stuck at the Tower, and I had gone insane, and you know what? Forget about it."

She was confusing the two heroes even more. Raven seemed surprised by all of her sudden mood changes. She pondered this as Batman examined her.

Then Batman spoke once again. "Go, rest. I'll explain more later."

Raven wanted to refuse, to demand more answers, but she knew she was tired and aching. She willingly went back to the cold, metal table and floated above it, putting herself into a healing trance.

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The wind whipped through her hair as it hadn't for months, causing the most exhilarating feeling to rip through her body. Her senses were on high alert; she could smell the dirt, the scum, the overpowering perfume; the scents of Gotham's underworld. She saw colors flash beneath her as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop, the colors always blending into the blackness again. The cold wind could be under her so easily. She could fly, but not today. Not her first day.

Rooftop to rooftop wasn't as hard as she had expected. She swooped, she dived. The constant wind in her face, the horns and screams and laughter, they were all there. The light in the sky called to her, as it screamed its sign at her. She understood and endeavored to reach it before her competitor could.

Laughing, she turned back to see the sixteen year old boy attempting to follow her wild leaps. He may do this for a living, but she was new and had her adrenaline pumping. Silently, she reached the rooftop that was their destination. The boy landed behind her, breathing slightly off. They both saw their mentor standing just behind the commissioner. He hadn't spoken yet. The commissioner was quietly speaking to an overweight man with a gun. She strained to hear what he was saying.

"He'll be here, Harvey, just give him a moment. He could be across town for all we know." The large man mumbled something to the commissioner and the older man laughed and said, "I don't. That kid's a real asset."

She followed the boy as he stepped up to stand next to his teacher. Her heart thudded, half from the excitement of jumping from rooftop to rooftop, and half because she was worried. Worried about what the commissioner would think of her. Her new outfit made her feel more confident that he wouldn't find her inappropriate. She was dressed in another leotard, but it had leggings this time. It was blue, as well as her boots and her cloak. She smiled behind her hood. Just then, the Batman spoke.

"Jim, Bullock." He didn't need to say anymore. They knew he was there and were ready to get down to the nitty gritty. The two detectives turned and were prepared to speak, before they noticed the new addition.

"Who the hell is that?" Harvey Bullock asked rudely. Batman shifted his weight as Robin said, "Careful, Harvey, you're in the presence of a woman."

Raven almost smacked him right there.

"I see you have another partner," Commissioner Gordon said, doing a quick once over of Raven, police style.

"Does this partner have a name, Bat?" Harvey asked, being as annoying as they were accustomed to.

"This is Pride," Batman said, not mentioning anything about how her name was not bird or bat related. In fact, it was more related to a lion than anything else.

"Sorry, Batman, but we have no time for pleasantries. Both the Joker and Poison Ivy have broken out of Arkham," James Gordon said, walking to the spotlight and shutting off the Batsignal.

"Then I bet you could use some help."

At the sound of the new voice, all of the people on the top of the Gotham Police Department stared in surprise.

"Nightwing?" Robin asked, staring at the newcomer in shock and admiration.

"Hey, kid. Hey, Commish," Nightwing said, walking up behind Raven and Robin. Raven paled under the vaguely bird-like hood. She didn't want to face Nightwing, didn't want him to recognize her, didn't want him to blame her, but she dutifully turned when Batman did.

Nightwing was much different from Robin. Nightwing's costume was darker, blue on black. His boots had more obvious friction; his mask was more angular than ever, shaped more like a bat. Obviously he had stopped using the hair gel. It was strange, but even though Nightwing claimed to want to be his own man, he couldn't be more like Batman. Dark clothes, sneaking up on people; even his voice seemed different, darker, harsher. The voice of someone who's seen it all and is trying to get past it.

"So, we're up against the Joker and Poison Ivy? Alright, this won't be too difficult."

"Careful, Nightwing. The Joker always has a plan." Batman spoke to him like they were old friends, which, of course, they were. He accepted Nightwing's help without question. The commissioner seemed at ease with the hero.

"Nightwing, eh? I'd heard you changed your name. Keeping the bird theme though?" Commissioner Gordon said playfully. Then, in one moment, he was serious again.

"We've located Pamela Isley. She's downtown and not very easy to miss. She's charmed all of the guards at a building of WayneTech's with her toxin. We haven't actually found the Joker, only this," the commissioner held up a playing card, a joker no doubt, "attached to a dead body. I had him sent to the morgue. Figured that' be quieter for you." The commissioner looked up from the card to see how Batman was responding. All four of the costumed heroes were gone. Harvey looked around as well.

"Where the fuck did they go, Commish?" he asked Gordon, looking around.

"Language, Harvey. If my daughter could hear you now, she'd rip you a new one."

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"She's on the top floor, guys. All security is out, including cameras. You're on your own now," said the information broker known as Oracle through Robin's com-link. Oracle was also known as Barbara Gordon, often referred to as "The Commish's daughter". Barbara was the first Batgirl, Nightwing's first love, and, to break her streak of firsts, the second of Batman's protégés to be maimed by the Joker.

"Thanks, Babs. We'll see you at the clock tower later," Robin said back, shutting off the link. Then he looked at Raven and said, "Ladies first, partner."

Harrumphing, Raven silently stepped forward, heading for the stairway. Robin caught her wrist before she could take three steps. She glanced back at the boy, an annoyed look in her eyes telling him to let go. He did and she stopped short.

"Rae, you can't just go up the stairs!" he said, shaking his head. Raven was confused. "Why not?" she asked the masked kid, who, she realized at this moment, was only two years younger than she was.

"Well, other than the fact that Poison Ivy is expecting you to, it's just less sneaky. Batman said we could fight Ivy because we're quiet. So, come on!" Robin answered her, motioning toward the elevator; she quirked her eyebrow.

There was no electricity in the building, thanks to Ivy shutting down the main power grid that provided for the entire block. Robin pulled out an R-shaped shruiken and attempted to wedge it between the doors. Raven grabbed his arm this time, pulling him back from the doors. Then she pressed her slight, gray tinted hand against the cold metal of the elevator doors and pushed the magic forth. One black pulse of dark demon energy later and the doors dinged open. All that the two teens saw was a gaping shadowy hole and the faint line of an elevator cable. Staring into the depths of the elevator shaft, Robin chuckled.

"Ladies first."

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The morgue is a generally avoided place, unless you hade to be there, either to work, identify a loved one, or decide how someone died while you are dressed as a giant bat.

Nightwing glanced around the cold, dark room, checking the clock. It was 1:07 in the morning and the Batfamily was just getting started. Robin and…_what was her name?._ _Oh, yes. Pride. The hooded girl's name was Pride._

Batman crossed the room to speak with Batman, who was examining the body.

"No marks indicating strangulation, Alfred, but something happened to cut off air from the brain." Batman was speaking to Alfred, his loyal butler and surrogate father, on his headset. Alfred could probably see the body as well, through the cameral lens in Batman's cowl. Batman flipped the man's dead body over, checking for wounds.

"There." Nightwing had noticed a small needle insertion mark near the man's brain stem. Batman zoomed in on the tiny hole.

"Alfred?" he asked, waiting for the butler's final opinion. Nightwing could hear his British accent through the com-link. Alfred was silent for a moment and then he spoke to the Dark Knight.

"I believe Master Dick is correct, sir. It would appear some chemical was injected into the man's brain, maybe even air bubbles, causing not only immense pain and seizures, but the air flow from lungs to brain to end. Does he appear to have had heart failure as well?" Alfred asked after making his assessment. Nightwing glanced at the stolen mortician's notes. Then he clicked his com-link onto the same channel that Alfred and Batman were occupying.

"Alfred, yes, there seems to have been massive heart failure as he died. Only one chemical in Gotham could do affect heart and lungs. Remember that shipment of SCX-434 that we intercepted about five months ago, when you called me to Gotham?

"Precisely, Master Dick. I shall go; the Batcave could use some more tidying," Alfred said, exiting the channel.

"Remember that someone, possibly working for the Penguin, escaped with two boxes of the deadly chemical?" Nightwing was speaking just to Batman, having noted Alfred's departure. Batman looked thoughtful for a moment and then nodded, saying, "Looks like we have to pay a visit to the Penguin."

"To Iceberg Lounge, then. Is it still the glorified rat hole that I remember from when it first opened?" Nightwing asked, walking with Batman to the stairs that led to the roof of the building. Entering into the cold night air, Batman turned to his former protégé and said, "It gets worse every year."

The two original vigilantes of Gotham took off into the darkness, swinging into the air, heading south, into the arms of waiting criminals. They had to find the Joker soon. Both knew his style, it being common knowledge that the psychopath wouldn't wait much longer to kill again.

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"They're just not working! I don't know what it is; I guess it happened when I opened the elevator. Could it be due to Poison Ivy?" Raven was frustrated, furious. Her powers, the ones she used constantly, were not working. She had tried to float into the air, ready to carry Robin through the dark elevator shaft, but her magic would not come to her. Aggravated, she gave up attempting to force her enchantments to work.

Laughing, Robin said, "I don't think even she could do this, Rae, but who knows." Raven wasn't irritated by the nickname. Beast Boy used to call her it all the time, and, though she rejected it, she enjoyed hearing it from Robin.

Just then, Robin pulled her to his side and reached into his fully stocked utility belt. Grabbing a grappler, he shot it into the elevator duct, allowing it to wrap around the cable. Then, still holding Raven close to him, he pulled them into the gaping hole of an elevator.

Raven's heart rate had climbed the moment Robin had put his arm around her. She tried to calm her thumping heart, confused as to why this anomaly had occurred. She concluded that it must be due to the surprise of him clutching her to him, almost as if his life depended on it. She decided to focus on the strange shock of her heart velocity at a later date. Right now, they had landed on the open elevator shaft on the top floor.

Letting go of her very slowly, Robin dropped the grappler, allowing it to fall back down the shaft, still attached to the cable. Raven was already looking around. The entire top floor of WayneTech was covered in greenery. Vines and plants surrounded the one main desk and the conference table. The two teenagers could see nothing but green, so they decided to step forward carefully. Poison Ivy was not in sight.

Robin, being the male, decided to be the distraction, trying to find Poison Ivy and attack her, allowing Raven, someone Ivy wasn't expecting, to get the drop on her.

"Ivy! Poison Ivy! You are under arrest for the breaking and entering of a WayneTech building, and for countless murders committed while you entered said WayneTech building. Come out with your hands, and vines, up!" Robin called while searching through the formidable jungle of plants. He winked at Raven who was doing her best to blend into the shadows, even without her powers. She rolled her eyes at the dashing bird boy.

A slight tinkling giggle burst through the leaves, giving away Ivy's position. Robin attacked, drawing a Bo staff as he did. He didn't even get close to the woman before a strong vine pulled his kick back. He fell to the ground, ripped a R-shaped shruiken out of his belt, and sliced the plant off of his leg, all in one movement. Raven stayed in the shadows, creeping through the shrubbery to arrive at her mark behind Poison Ivy.

"One Bat-boy?" she heard Ivy say. She could see nothing but she heard a loud grunt, as if someone were kneed – or elbowed – in the stomach.

"You bastard!" the woman shouted, sounding offended that he had touched her. Raven heard a cracking noise issue from Robin's direction. She stifled a gasp. Ivy stopped moving, talking, maybe even breathing.

"Oh, you brought a friend, little Robin?" she asked quietly, playfully. Suddenly, she parted the foliage behind her, showing Raven, even though she was concealed in the dark shadows of the room.

Poison Ivy smiled a dangerous smile as Raven began to fight for her – and Robin's – life.

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"Ugh!" Nightwing grunted as he was slugged in the stomach by some lackey working for the Penguin. He and Batman had made it to Iceberg Lounge, stopping an attempted rape in the process, and were now wasting their time on the Penguin's hired help. Incapacitating the final man, Batman threw him into a wall. Then he and Nightwing rushed through the rest of Iceberg Lounge, heading for the Penguin's office.

The Penguin was just getting ready to leave for the night, heading to his new penthouse on the upper west side of Gotham. He shut the lights off in his office, preparing to exit, when he heard a snap. Quickly, he fumbled to turn the lights back on, keeping a steady hold on one of the umbrellas he was famous for. Turning, he saw his worst enemy, the Batman, standing halfway between his desk and the window. He chuckled, attempting to hide his fear and discomfort, and said, "I'm sorry, Batman, I don't have time for you tonight." Just then, the Penguin heard a slam behind him. Turning once more, he saw a hero clad in black and blue, who, apparently, had just now slammed the door. Spinning back to face Batman, fright crossed Oswald Cobblepot's face.

"Call whatever hooker you ordered and cancel, Penguin. We have business to discuss."

Batman's tone spoke business so the Penguin made no move to leave again. He did, of course, speak up.

"Who's your friend? The bird boy not make the cut?"

"Actually, I did, and I went above and beyond, Mr. Cobblepot. Now, please, answer any and all questions my old friend asks and we'll be on our merry little way."

The Penguin only stared. "It's you! The first Robin!" Nightwing grimaced. "I'd take a bow, but I'm far too shy. Look Penguin, we just want to know about your dealings with the Joker."

The Penguin chuckled. "The Joker? I haven't had anything to do with him since he escaped Arkham. Now, if you don't mind, gentlemen…" The Penguin trailed off, attempting to leave.

"We do mind, Penguin. Tell me, who's giving the Joker experimental toxins if not you?" Batman asked, staring gravely into the Penguin's eyes. The Penguin stared, transfixed, for a moment before stating, "I don't know anything about that damned Joker."

In only a few movements, Batman had taken hold of the Penguin, crossed to the window, thrust it open and let the Penguin dangle by his leg over the edge of the balcony. His top hat flew off of his head as he flailed upside down, hanging from his own building.

"Stop, stop! I really don't know anything!" he yelled at the Batman and Nightwing. Batman's eyes narrowed and his grasp slipped for a moment.

"Okay! Okay! I didn't help the Joker, but Strange did! Hugo Strange! He stole my poison a while back and I never saw it again! Please, don't drop me!" The Penguin yelled, fearing for his life. Batman pulled him back inside, dumping him on the floor. When the Penguin's vision had sufficiently cleared and the blood was no longer all in his head, he glanced up. Batman and Nightwing were long gone, the curtains on his window blowing in the icy Gotham wind.

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Dodging to the right, Raven avoided Poison Ivy's vines; vines that were trying to kill her. She stayed far away from Robin, to avoid hurting him further on accident. Poison Ivy had malice in every line of anger on her face.

"Who the hell are you? What are you doing with them?" she yelled out at the dark girl as she flipped over a particularly angry, enormous, Venus Flytrap.

"Doing what needs to be done, Ivy," Raven called back to the crazed woman. Ivy only got madder.

"_Who the hell are you?!?!?_" she screamed, forcing all of her plants to converge on Raven at once, surrounding her in a cocoon of flora. The fighting seemed to end for a moment, with Robin staring in disbelief at the cocoon and Ivy giggling to herself, claiming victory.

_Slash._

The undergrowth was sliced open from the inside out, a glinting, and gold shruiken seen for just a moment. Ivy yelled in frustration as she realized she had failed to kill her prey. Raven had escaped the coffin Ivy had so generously created for her.

"You can call me Pride!" Raven shouted as she leapt at Ivy. Twirling, the two exchanged blows. Ivy wasn't very good at hand-to-hand combat and Raven knew this. Raven also knew that Ivy's plants would be called back into play in several moments.

As she suspected, Ivy couldn't hold long without her plants, but without her powers, Raven wasn't up to par, even though Batman had taught her more martial arts than Robin – excuse me, Nightwing – had. She had to reason with the demented environmentalist.

_That was it!_

"Ivy, why are you doing this? You don't do it for plants anymore, you do it for revenge! And what do you have against me or Robin?"

Ivy paused for a moment, allowing Raven's words to sink in. Then she said, "Silly Pride. You were taught by the Bat! I hate him!"

_I can feel her psychosis, tugging on me like a string. She's going to snap soon. I have to head her off._

"Pamela, listen to reason! All you're doing right now is killing your plants!"

Poison Ivy stopped moving all together, her vines falling limp.

"Hurting…my babies? No, I couldn't be!" Poison Ivy's moment of weakness had cost her. It told Raven exactly what buttons to push to force Ivy to give in. Ivy attacked yet again, smacking into the dark heroine several times before she had a chance to reason again.

"Please, Pamela. Look at them; they're dying. You're killing them. You are. You don't care about the environment anymore! All you care about is revenge on Batman. You don't love your plants anymore. You've been neglecting them, Pamela. Please stop this."

Raven felt strange, speaking so much, but she knew she had to drive her point across. Her cold, emotionless voice had returned, for the first time in a long while. The coldness filled her, but Raven didn't want it, not at all. She pushed it out, leaving half so that she may continue to convince Poison Ivy, if needed.

Apparently, that got her. Ivy withdrew all her plants and had begun to cry, sobbing into her dainty hands. Walking over to her, Raven smiled and said, "Come on, Pamela." She walked Poison Ivy to the stairs, leaving Robin for the moment, and handed the woman into police custody, watching her cry the entire time.

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"Batman? Something's been bothering me," Nightwing said as he tripped a dumb-looking zombie-man. Actually, Nightwing wasn't sure what he was.

Batman looked over from his fight to show he was listening.

"That girl with you earlier; you called her 'Pride' right? Well, she seemed very familiar. Her outfit, cloak, even her figure seemed to scream 'Raven'. But…that couldn't be. Raven's dead."

Batman finally spoke. "Was there a question in there somewhere?" Nightwing rolled his eyes at the bluntness of his mentor and said, "That wasn't actually Raven, was it? You didn't…do anything to…change what happened?"

Batman and Nightwing fought in silence for a moment, finally finishing off the final zombie creature. They turned to look at each other.

"Raven is dead, Nightwing. You saw her vitals; you heard Dr. Mid-Nite. She's gone. Don't try to see into something that isn't there." Batman turned away, heading into a large warehouse that had been rented to Hugo Strange.

Nightwing watched Batman's back as he followed. Shoulders more tense than usual after a fight. Walking slightly too fast. _He's lying,_ Nightwing thought, mind even more confused by his teacher's apparent lack of interest in telling the truth.

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"I thought you'd forgotten me, Rae," Robin said weakly as he saw Raven enter the room. She strode over to the injured hero and checked out his leg.

"Oh, yes, I forgot you. You've only been with me all night," Raven replied, poking his leg. He winced. "Definitely broken," she said, pulling back.

"But you can fix that, right? Use your healing powers on me or whatever, right?" Robin sounded anxious, but his leg _was_ broken and he _was_ a crime fighter. The two didn't tend to go together.

"Yes, I can, but only once we're outside. My powers don't work in here, Tim, probably thanks to something Bruce keeps in the cellar." Robin chuckled a bit at that. He allowed himself to be scooped up bridal style and carried down the same stairs Raven had just come up. They entered the night using a side exit, so the police wouldn't see them. Only Commissioner Gordon spotted the pair.

"Oh Lord, what happened to the kid?" the commissioner asked, hoping it wasn't bad.

"Nothing I can't fix," Raven said before holding her hand over the wound. Dark energy shot out of her fingertips; dark energy that changed to a soft blue light. Robin felt his leg knit back together as if it had never been hurt. Commissioner Gordon could only stare in wonder.

"We could use you on the squad, Pride," the commissioner said, looking up from Robin's leg.

"Thanks Commissioner, but I'm happy where I am," Raven said, swathing her dark power around herself, forming the vague shape of a bird. It didn't look much like a raven anymore.

The commissioner could have sworn he saw a smile on the girl's face before she teleported them away.

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Raven moved through the darkness, allowing her powers to draw her toward Batman. It seemed as if she wandered in the darkness for ages, but to Robin, it only took a few seconds.

Appearing out of thin air behind Batman and Nightwing, the two newcomers crouched behind boxes as well, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Nightwing was sure that this was Raven. The girl had just teleported, for goodness sake! She had the same look and the same teleportation, but Nightwing had not seen the girl use any of Raven's powers, the ones she couldn't fight without. He would just have to watch her in battle.

Dr. Hugo Strange was situated in a large chair in front of a computer monitor. Two of his "monster men" stood near him, protecting the vile man. Strange was not a typical criminal mastermind of Batman's. He had neither powers nor psychosis. Okay, well maybe some psychosis, but it was channeled into more than just violence and the destruction of Batman.

"Pride, Robin; Ragdoll maneuver. Oh, and Nightwing…don't get in our way," Batman whispered to his cohorts. Robin and Raven nodded. Nightwing was hit with a sudden shock when Pride disappeared in a wave of dark energy; a wave of energy he recognized.

"Raven!" he gasped, wildly looking around. He spotted her appearing behind Hugo Strange.

"Oh!" she cried, landing on the ground, crunched in a ball on the floor. It looked as though she had been wounded. Nightwing observed Batman hiding in the rafters; an obvious trick. So, he wouldn't be landing the final punch.

Robin was nowhere in sight, something that was new to Nightwing. He checked all of Batman's usual spots to hide an operative, but couldn't see him.

Raven stood slowly, shakily. Her black cloak draped around her in a way that used to show off some leg, but all Nightwing saw was her costume; the leggings were a new addition.

"Aha, a pretty young lady in trouble," Strange said, stepping forward, "A damsel in distress. My favorite. Who are you?"

Raven answered, "Mi nombre es Maria. ¡No sé donde estoy! ¡Usted debe ayudarme! ¡A los hombres en máscaras me ataqué!"

"Well, my Spanish is a bit rusty, _Maria_, but I would be glad to help you. Please, come in," Strange said, a strange inflection in his voice.

Raven stepped further into the compound, stopping short of Strange.

"What do you do for a living, Maria?" he asked, stepping closer. She shrugged and said, "Soy bailarín. Un separador. Una prostitute. Una víbora."

Hugo made a confused face and said, "I didn't quite catch that last one, sweet chunks."

Nightwing _thought_ he saw her smile, but then a tear rolled down her cheek and she stepped closer to the man. Strange smiled.

Raven whimpered and Nightwing was taken aback. _No way, this can't be Raven. She refuses to show weakness! Not even if she had to…_

Dr. Strange took a few more steps forward and had been put his arm about the young girl. Just then, Nightwing could have sworn her eyes glowed under her cloak. Her hand snapped out, catching Strange on the throat. She picked him up and threw him towards his computer monitors. Once his goons realized what was going on they rushed the girl, attempting to protect Strange. They didn't even get the chance. Robin appeared out of thin air, literally. He attacked one of the monster men while Raven took the other.

Strange started to stir from his screen-induced blackout, moaning aloud; that was Batman's cue. He pounced upon the waking man, allowing his head to slam backwards again. He stood over Strange and said, "Where is it? Where is the toxin?" Strange mumbled something and Batman said, "Gone?" Dr. Strange nodded once before passing out again, on top of the monitor system. Batman shook his head and stepped away from Strange, his operatives already done with their assailants. Nightwing leapt from the shadows, as silent as one, and said, "It's not gone. I found it."

Nightwing led the small group to a back corner of the warehouse, which was filled with wooden boxes. One had been cracked open, presumably by Nightwing, and was filled with vials and syringes. Batman's eyes narrowed beneath the cowl as he stepped forward to examine the concoction. He removed a vial from the box and placed it in his belt, apparently going to study it later, back in the Batcave. The caped crusader turned, cape swishing silently and strode toward the entrance of the warehouse. Calling back, he said, "Robin, Pride; take Strange and drop him off at Police Headquarters, then meet me back at the cave."

Batman continued walking until he was out of sight. Nightwing turned to the other two, intent on questioning "Pride" intently, but turned to thin air. Both crime fighters were gone, most likely due to the girl's teleportation. Nightwing clenched his fist and growled slightly. Then he strode out of the warehouse, following Batman, intent on getting answers, maybe not from the source, but from someone who knew a lot more than they were telling.

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Thanks for reading this chapter! It means a lot to me, it really does. Yes, I will be back soon with another chapter and I may even update one of my other stories, but so far all I get when I try to write them is a couple of incoherent statements and a lot of writer's block.

Love,

Titangirl797

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	4. Chapter 4

Hey, yes, I'm back again with another chapter, not that you care. So, I know I said it wasn't going to be romantic, but I'm experimenting a little. Give me a break! If you want super good stories, though, read Japhith, LegendMaker, or Jessemudflap.

Disclaimer: If I owned DC Comics, I would never have invented Aquaman. So, obviously, I don't. See how that works?

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"Pride, Robin: head to the Clocktower, and tell Oracle to do a city-wide sweep of the city for the Joker. Any possible deaths caused by him, any mayhem. Find something. Go," Batman said, not even looking at his two partners. Instead, the Caped Crusader was focusing on the vial of toxin he had retrieved from Hugo Strange's hideout. The toxin had been secured, but Batman wanted to know exactly what was in it. Raven and Robin nodded, preparing to leave. Raven was all set to teleport, when Robin said, "Let's ride the bike." Raven was dumbstruck. The bike?

As in, a motorcycle?

Flashbacks of refusing rides on Robin – Nightwing's – bike came to her. She could feel the suspicion emanating off of the teenage crimefighter.

She hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Alright." Robin hopped on and slipped on his red helmet, the one that matched the bike.

"Helmets on, pretty bird," Robin said, passing her a completely black helmet. Raven felt the curiosity and suspicion rise from her former teammate. She could hear his thoughts ("It must be her. Pretty bird?"), but she also felt something different. Something scary. She felt fear. Diving deeper, she realized that even Dick himself had no idea why he felt such resentment to the phrase. Then, a memory surfaced, clear enough that Raven could see it also.

"_Oh, no, pretty birdie, no help," a smooth voice called before a single shot rang out, one that penetrated the hard polymer of the Titans communicator._

It was from that night.

The night that had changed everything.

She had lost her home, her family, her name.

Gone, gone like the exhilaration of earlier, when jumping across rooftops had been her only concern.

"Pride?" Robin asked, holding the helmet out to her. She quickly grabbed it, wondering how long she had been standing there, immersed in the thoughts of one of her best friends.

She sat astride the bike, her stomach clenching when Robin said, "You have to put your arms around me so that you don't fall off." Inwardly smiling and unaware of the reason why, Raven did as he said, encircling her arms around his abdomen. They fit together comfortably, almost perfectly. Jerking the kickstand, Robin prepared to leave the dark and solemn Batcave. Just then, Batman's voice called out from the semi-darkness, "Be back by five a.m. There's a charity gala hosted and funded by Wayne Enterprises at the mansion tonight, and I want the three of you well rested."

"The three of us?" Robin asked, confused, glancing between Batman and Raven. Batman didn't turn.

"Well, Pride does need a date, Robin." Pressing the gas hard, Robin sped out of the cave, removing any traces of the faint blush that had crossed the adolescent's face. Raven smiled slightly, enjoying the freedom of emotion. Speeding through the air, the motorcycle hitting 120 mph, Raven finally felt free of all of the restrictions and worries that being dead had caused her.

Remembering, Raven activated the in-helmet com-link that allowed her to speak with Robin, even with the wind rushing by, freezing her hands and allowing a cold chill to seep through the light fabric of her costume.

"We need to be more careful around Dick. He's almost completely convinced that I'm Raven."

"You are Raven," she heard Robin say back, a smirk evident in his voice. Raven sighed, frustrated just a little. This was a serious matter! He was just like Beast Boy; cracking jokes at the most inopportune moments.

"You annoy me," she said, being as blunt and monotone as possible. She heard Robin sigh.

"Don't be like that, Rae! You know I hate that creepy emotionless voice of yours." Raven rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see her.

"Then don't force me to use it," she said, smiling a bit. He chuckled and said, "I can hear the smile in your voice, Rae."

"Don't call me Rae," she said instinctively. It was battered into her after years of Beast Boy calling her that. It was not allowed, but for some reason, she didn't stop the Boy Wonder from using that name.

It fit when he said it.

For some reason.

"Whatever you want, Raven," he said. Rolling her eyes yet again, Raven watched the lights on the grimy buildings fly past, hearing their occupants screaming.

Crying.

Laughing.

Emoting.

The passion flooded her mind, engulfing her senses, pushing them into overdrive.

What was wrong?

Flashes, images swooshed through her mind at lightning speed, driving her crazy. The rush pulled her towards the black edges of her mind, the creeping darkness that threatened to surround her in its intensity.

Suddenly swaying, Raven teetered on the edge of, not just her consciousness, but also Robin's bike. Slipping, Raven began to fall, almost taking Robin with her.

"Raven!" he cried, yelling out to her blank, dark mind. She fell off of the moving bike, her head hitting the ground hard, creating a sick clunking noise that terrified Robin. He spun the bike, stopping it quickly. Braking, he proceeded to run over to his fallen friend. Blood had begun to seep from her helmet, a sure sign of a head injury. It was a sickly red color, black in the dark of night. His mind reacted to the stress, calming him as he had been taught. Reaching into his belt, he grabbed out his red and yellow communicator.

"Batman," he said, a tone of urgency in his voice. There was no response from the Caped Crusader. "Batman!" he repeated. A voice crackled through the radio, but it definitely wasn't the gravelly, hard voice of the Dark Knight. Instead, a lighter, but still dark voice answered Robin's call.

"Robin, this is Nightwing. What's your status?" Nightwing asked quickly. Robin responded just as quickly. "She's down! Slipped into unconsciousness and fell off the bike. I have no idea what happened! She was fine; we were talking and kidding around, and then she fell. There's blood!"

"Robin, calm down," Nightwing said, confused. "You were trained better than this. Stop freaking out. Bring her back to the cave; I know how to wake her up."

"How would you know?" Robin asked suspiciously. Nightwing geared up his attack. "This happened several times in Jump," he responded, speaking quickly. Robin remembered the cover story.

"She's never been to Jump, 'Wing," he said, scooping Raven up as a crowd assembled.

"Just bring Raven to the cave, now!" Robin shut off the com-link. How was he going to protect Raven's identity when Nightwing was so damn snoopy? He had probably been listening in on their conversation, somehow. Robin knelt down and picked up the unconscious Raven, cradling her in his arms like a small child. There was no way he could drive the bike and hold her. What to do?

Across the street, a policeman was giving a ticket to a couple who had parked in a no-parking zone. Silent as a shadow, Robin hopped into the police cruiser, setting the bleeding Raven into the passenger seat. Turning the ignition, Robin slammed on the gas, ignoring the shouts of the now stranded policeman. Rolling his eyes at the man's yells, Robin sped toward one of the many secret entrances of the Batcave. He was actually headed to the one in Crime Alley; a metal door with a retinal scanner behind a steel dumpster. As he drove, he hit the self-destruct button on his bike – wouldn't want any villains getting to it, now would we? Tires screeching, Robin pulled up next to Crime Alley, not wanting to get too close to the entrance. He grabbed the still unconscious Raven and rand, fast and hard, to the dumpster, ignoring the sounds of lovemaking and yelling coming from the nearby apartments. Supporting her head on his arm, with her blood smearing all over his uniform, Robin stared into the retinal scanner, willing it to go faster. Glancing down at Raven, he felt slightly disgusted. If he had acted quicker, then she wouldn't be hurt, and her blood wouldn't be sending him into a tizzy.

Racing down the steps, Robin hit the button for a high-speed elevator, which came into view in a matter of seconds. Raven groaned; she was coming to. Robin hopped on the elevator, hoping that she hadn't lost too much blood.

There was a lot of it.

Tearing into the Batcave, Robin gently placed Raven on the cold, metal table she had first woken upon. He removed her helmet; the wound looked like it really hurt. Then again, he _was _driving over one hundred…

He called to the cave, "'Wing! Get the hell down here!"

"I'm right here, Tim. No need to get annoyed." Nightwing tried to joke, but he saw all of the blood covering not only Robin's chest and sleeve, but Raven's head. A single drop of blood dripped down the side of her face, past her ear, staining the pale skin with a dark tone. Breathing deeply, Nightwing said to Robin, "Go away, Tim. You'll see her in a couple of hours." Robin looked like he was going to say something, but Raven groaned, and Nightwing rushed to her, yelling, "Just go!" at the Boy Wonder.

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"I think she's waking up," a girl's voice said, obviously muttering to another person. There were sounds of shifting; someone had stood up. She felt a cool palm on her forehead, which felt soothing compared to the hotness of her skin. Cracking her eyes open, just a bit, Raven could make out a form of a girl, but not much else. It was dark in the room, and Raven squinted.

"Raven? Raven? Are you alright?" another girl's voice asked, more familiar this time. Images came flooding back to her.

Meeting the commissioner.

Fighting Ivy.

Healing Robin's leg.

Taking down Strange.

Riding on the back of Robin's bike.

Falling, and the darkness.

Her eyes snapped open, wide and alert. She still couldn't see much, but she could see that only two people were in the room with her.

"I…" she began, but felt so tired that she couldn't complete her sentence, or even her thoughts.

"Shhh, stay still. You took a pretty hard knock to the head, but Robin got you to the cave quickly enough."

"Who are you?" Raven managed to stutter out, the breathing and talking making her feel woozy.

She heard the smile in the other girl's voice. "You don't remember me? I'm hurt." Raven recognized the voice, but couldn't put a face to it.

"I'm Stephanie. Stephanie Brown. Though you might know me better as Spoiler." Something clicked in Raven's head. Of course, Spoiler.

"_Careful, Cass, you don't want to make her condition worse." Silence from the other girl, who appeared to be rolling her eyes. "Yes, I'm aware you're a practiced medic," the girl's voice said, "but you're tying the tourniquet wrong." She felt softer hands on her arm, which stung as if it had been pricked by a thousand needles. She moaned slightly, surprised that she couldn't handle even the slightest of pain._

"_Raven…you…okay?" a girl's voice asked, not the first girl. Raven's eyelids fluttered, but she didn't open them. "It's alright, Raven. I'm Spoiler and this is Batgirl. We're taking care of you while Batman and Robin are away."_

_Batman?_

_Robin?_

_What…?_

"_Go back to sleep, Rae. You're not well, and you need to sleep." Raven agreed with this sentiment, and drifted off, not realizing that she was slipping back into a coma._

"Spoiler," Raven mumbled, seeming to feel the words in her mouth. Her tongue felt heavy.

"What happened?" she asked, feeling incredibly groggy. Spoiler shook her head; the outline swayed in the dark. "We're not completely sure. Nightwing said it had something to do with your emotions overloading and that this happened a few times back in Jump."

Nightwing?

Oh my god, Nightwing knew.

Raven sat up, back ramrod straight. She felt two sets of hands pushing her back down. "Calm down, Raven!" she heard Spoiler say. She barely heard her.

Was it like she had died again? Did he hate her for the unnecessary pain she put him and the other Titans through? Oh god, Nightwing knew.

"What time is it?" she heard Spoiler say to the other girl in the room. She was beginning to have night vision. Whoever the girl was, she had barely spoken.

"Five, I think," the girl said, her voice quieter than Spoilers. More refined. More restrained.

"We should start getting ready. Raven?" she asked her, making Raven look into her blue eyes.

"Mmmm," Raven said, tired. Spoiler and the other girl exchanged glances.

"We're gonna let you sleep for another hour, but then you have to start getting ready."

"For what?" Raven was confused. Where were they going?

"Remember, the Wayne Charity Gala, tonight? You're going as Tim's date." The girl sounded slightly bitter at this statement. Then it clicked. Robin and her. The blush.

She smiled slightly, unsure of why. She nodded and lay back down on the pillow. Realizing that there was no way they had seen her nod in the dark (though the quiet one seemed to have), Raven said, "Alright. See you in an hour." Slipping into dreamless sleep, Raven heard the quieter girl say to Spoiler, "Don't be…jealous, Stephanie." The two girls exited the room, letting a small strip of light in when they opened the door, burning the inside of Raven's eyelids.

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She had no idea how she had been coerced into doing this.

It was awful.

It was terrible.

She was probably going to have nightmares.

Raven stood in front of a mirror, wearing a black cocktail dress that cut off slightly above her knees. She thought she looked slightly washed out, but whatever. It wasn't pink. Glancing to her right, Raven saw the beautifully made-up Stephanie, wearing her slim, fitted red dress. She felt a twang of jealousy, but wasn't sure if it was from her or Stephanie. The girl seemed to get jealous every time she thought about Raven. Why, she had no idea, but she didn't particularly care. Looking to her left, Raven saw the quiet girl from earlier, Cassandra. Apparently, she was the new Batgirl, since the old one couldn't fight crime in the traditional way anymore. The girl had barely said two words to her, but it was alright. Raven could sense that it wasn't easy for her to speak.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror for another minute of two, noting everything, from the up-do that her violet hair had been placed into, to the eyeliner that had been painstakingly added to her face by a slightly frustrated Stephanie, to the frown that was set upon her lips.

She felt silly.

She didn't usually wear dresses. Sure, she used to run around Jump in nothing but a leotard and cape, but those days were over, and at least she had something on that stayed put. Turning to Stephanie, she said, "Is it time?"

The blonde girl checked her cell phone for the time. "Yep, 7:30 on the dot," she said, smiling at the two girls in the room with her. The three moved for the door and exited into the brightly lit hallway of Wayne Manor. They could hear the noise of people entering the house through the entrance hall, proceeding into the ballroom. Taking a deep breath, Raven followed the other two forward. She felt less groggy, which made it easier to walk than a couple of hours before.

The ballroom was also brightly lit, and, though it was early, was already swarming with guests of Bruce's. Feeling extremely nervous and self-conscious, Raven sat down at one of the many two person tables in the room, staring into the emptiness of the seat across from her. Suddenly, a rose was up against her nose, seemingly having come from thin air. She looked around the rose and saw Tim smiling down at her. Still offering her the rose, Tim sat down across from her. Finally accepting, Raven gently plucked the rose from Tim's hand. The scent filled her nose immediately.

"Hey, Rae. How are you feeling?" Raven felt the urge to tell him to call her Raven, her proper name, but didn't. It just didn't matter anymore.

"Better," she said quietly, staring at the boy, who stared right back. Feeling a mental pull, Raven looked up, right into the eyes of Stephanie. Music began playing in the background and couples began to dance. Stephanie smiled sweetly and said, "Wanna dance, Tim?" Tim looked at Raven for help, as he obviously didn't want to dance with the girl.

_Like my own freaking Bette Kane._

Raven almost giggled at this comment, which was so unlike her. Tim stood up and accepted Stephanie's offer to dance, since he didn't have much choice. He wasn't getting her out on that dance floor.

Raven listened to his thoughts at the beginning of the dance, secretly eavesdropping on the couple.

"_So, Tim, we haven't hung out much." Why are you always with Raven?_

"_Yeah, well, I've been busy." Avoiding you._

"_We should hang out more, somewhere where it's just you and me, like old times." He does like me, right?_

"_We really don't have that many old times, Steph." I hope Bruce, Dick, and Raven don't leave me alone with her._

"_But it's the thought that counts, right?" Please, please, please say yes._

"_Uh, I guess." Dick would though, and I don't think Bruce cares. They're both probably laughing at me._

Tim's thoughts fell silent, as he obviously wasn't paying any attention to Stephanie, who was rattling on about all the things they could do together. He was off in his own world. On a whim, Raven decided to interrupt him.

_So, how many old times do you and Stephanie have, exactly?_

_Damn…you were listening?_

_Sorry._

_No, don't apologize. Uh, Steph and I went out for a while, but I broke things off a while ago._

_Why?_

_Awfully curious tonight, Rae._

_Well, let's just say that cats aren't the only ones that are curious._

_Oh, I know. Birds are incredibly curious, too._

_Like Ravens._

_And Robins._

There was silence for a moment.

_Will you dance with me, Raven?_

_What?_

_Dance. With. Me._

_Don't talk to me like I'm an idiot. I was just taken aback._

_Why?_

_I'm not the only curious one, apparently._

_C'mon, tell me. Why?_

_Well, one, I didn't think you liked to dance. And two, why are you asking me?_

_Well, I don't like to dance, really. But if it will keep me away from Steph…_

_And?_

_And what?_

_Don't get smart with me, Boy Wonder._

There was even more silence. Raven could feel Tim pondering the answer to the question.

_I enjoy your company._

_That's it?_

_Um, yeah._

_No, it isn't. I can feel it._

_God, I hate your powers._

_There is nothing godly about my powers, thank you very much._

It hit Raven at that exact moment that she was flirting. Her, Raven, was flirting with the Boy Wonder, Robin. She gasped.

A gasp that must have echoed along the mental connection she had set up with Tim.

_Rae? Are you alright?_

Tim said this with so much concern that Raven felt her insides go mushy.

What the hell?!

She took a deep breath and tried to calm her emotions, which seemed to be running freer these days. Muttering her mantra to herself softly, Raven could still feel Tim's concern as he watched her from across the room.

_I'm fine._

Tim didn't say anything for a long while. The dance ended, but Raven didn't see him return to the table.

_So, will you?_

Tim's voice burst into her head out of nowhere, shocking her.

_Will I do what?_

_Dance with me?_

_Where are you?_

She glanced around, looking for the dark-haired boy.

_Guess._

Raven felt two warm hands cover her perfectly made-up eyes.

And she felt herself smile.

He let go and she turned to face him.

Her stomach leapt at the sight of him.

_Yeah._

She stood, and he understood immediately. He took her hand and led her to the dance floor, earning dirty looks from Stephanie.

"Is she glaring," Tim mumbled into her ear, breathing his warm breath on her neck, making her shiver.

She glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah," she said, trying not to snicker. Tim rolled his eyes and said, "Thanks."

"For what?" she asked, confused.

"For protecting me from the horror that is Stephanie Brown."

"She doesn't seem that bad."

"Wait, just wait."

It was only a minute into the song when Stephanie came storming over. She stopped next to the dancing couple and said, "Tim, I think we need to have a talk." Tim shifted to face her, and somehow, Raven ended up pressed against his toned body.

"About?" he asked in a nonchalant voice. Stephanie's brows furrowed together and she said, in a hiss, "_Alone._"

"Anything you want to say, you can say in front of Raven, you know." Stephanie glared at the dark sorceress before saying, "Fine. I think we should get back together."

Raven was pressed so close to Tim, she could feel his heartbeat speed up. He chanced a downward glance at Raven before looking back at Stephanie and saying, "Sorry Steph, but Rae and I are kinda together."

That's when it happened. Raven assumed he was determined to prove his point about them dating, but suddenly Tim leaned down, and his lips were gently touching hers, but he straightened quickly. It was only a moment, but Raven felt something tear through her, something burning. Damn it.

Smiling at Stephanie, Tim pulled Raven away, toward the entrance of the ballroom.

Raven was shell-shocked. Tim let go of her wrist and walked faster, leaving Raven behind. Confused, Raven sped up.

They didn't speak. Raven just followed Tim as he marched to the clock in Bruce's study, and reset the time to 10:47. The grandfather clock moved aside, allowing entrance to Batman's stronghold in his war against crime. Tim strode forward, walking to the changing rooms, stripping off his shirt on the way, revealing his cut body. Raven rolled her eyes and decided it would be best to handle things while he was still Tim and not Robin.

"Tim," she called, but he slipped into the changing room. She followed him, determined to speak with the boy. Walking into the changing room, Raven spotted Tim, one fist against the metal locker that held the symbolic "R" of the Robin heritage. His forehead was pressed up against the cool metal, and he barely even registered Raven's presence. Raven walked forward slowly before setting a hand on Tim's shoulder. His skin burned white hot under her palm, and Raven was suddenly nervous.

"Tim," she said quietly, trying to shake the boy from his reverie. He glanced up, a sort of sadness in his eyes, before saying, "I'm sorry, Raven. I shouldn't have done that. Steph was just getting me so worked up, and I…I didn't know what else to do. I'm sorry." Tim looked like he had let Batman down while he was lying on his deathbed. Raven didn't understand.

"Tim, it's alright…" she began, but was cut off by a strangely angry Tim.

"No, it's not okay. I took advantage of you, Raven, and I'm really sorry."

Raven took in the boy's upset face, with his eyes crunched up tight, as if he was holding back tears. Raven stepped forward, closing the gap between the two. Tim opened his eyes and looked down at her, since he was slightly taller. Raven placed one of her hands on his abs and felt a shiver run through him, just as one ran through her.

"Raven, I…" Tim began, but he was cut off by the sudden contraction of Raven's hand, which had curled instinctively at his voice. Her fingernails lightly scraped his abs, and Tim took in a small, accidental gasp. Raven looked up, into his blue eyes.

"Don't you dare apologize again, Tim, or I'll rip your spleen out through your nose." Tim nodded, but then Raven put her other hand on Tim's abs. Tim swallowed, hard.

"Why did you kiss me?" Raven asked Tim, her voice quiet, barely noticeable. Tim closed his eyes and said, "It wasn't personal." Raven's eyes shot up to Tim's and her hands contracted again, making Tim gasp.

"It wasn't personal?" Raven growled out, now angry. Why had she ever…felt something for this boy? Nothing personal? So he had just used her and thrown her away?

Flattening her palms against his body before pulling them away, Raven said, "Alright then. At least I know where we stand." She had reverted to her monotone. She turned, having every intention to walk away from the boy behind her that had made her feel so…worthless.

"Raven, don't…" Time started again, but Raven cut him off yet again. She wheeled on the poor kid.

"No, you don't, Tim Drake! You can't just waltz into my life and start making me _feel_ things and then say that it wasn't personal. You, _Boy Wonder_, are an insufferable pig. I can't believe you were ever my friend."

Raven felt the sadness and the fear emanating off of the boy. Raven turned around again, determined to storm away from him.

She made it maybe three steps before she felt two hands on her shoulders, spinning her around. It was all a blur.

One minute, she was ferociously mad at him, and the next he was kissing her like his life depended on it.

Raven was worried. She had only ever kissed two people: Beast Boy and Nightwing. Honestly, neither had made her stomach jump or her breathing become as labored as Tim did. She didn't know whether she was kissing properly, but she assumed she must be, as he seemed into it.

_Stop thinking, Raven. Just do._

The two stumbled backward slightly, hitting Batman's locker. Raven unintentionally ran her hands up and down Tim's abs, but he didn't seem to mind. In fact, it made him kiss her even harder. His lips were soft, but were crashing down on her like a waterfall. The passion felt good. It was something she hadn't experienced before.

One of his hands was tangled up in her hair, even though it was short. His other hand was on her hip, but it was inching its way up her body. She shivered with pleasure as his hand passed over her stomach, extremely toned from training with Batman. She felt him begin to push her dress down, letting the cool air of the room nip at her exposed skin.

But then he stopped.

Tim pulled away hesitantly. "Raven, I don't know if we should…_you know_." Raven rolled her eyes and said, "Tim, why did you kiss me?"

"This time or the first time?" Tim asked, but his attempt at a joke failed miserably.

"Both," she said, not looking at him. Tim didn't answer.

"Was it just to annoy Stephanie? Because I get it if it is. Was it to see whether kissing a half-demon is the same as kissing a normal girl? I've had people try that too. But if you kissed me just because you're a horny bastard, then you're right. We should stop." Raven removed her hands from his body and left the room. She didn't hear Tim following.

_I should have known._

She walked slowly to the stairs and then up them, exiting in the study.

She walked slowly past the people in the ballroom, partying and getting wasted on white wine and expensive champagne.

She walked slowly back to her room in Wayne Manor.

What she didn't expect, though, was that the door to her room would be open. Peering around the edge of the door, Raven saw a shape in the middle of the dark room, sitting on the comfortable bed.

"Stephanie?" she called, keeping her voice monotone. She needed to meditate. Her emotions were too loud. But…so were Stephanie's. And something felt…_wrong _about them, like they had been tainted.

"Hey, Rae-Rae," Stephanie said, her voice sugary sweet. Raven telekinetically hit the light in the room, so that the soft yellow light poured from the nightstand and spilled over onto the bed. Stephanie sat there, makeup smudged, dress wrinkled.

"Steph, are you alright?" she asked the crying girl, whose only response was to wipe her eyes on the back of her hand. The emotions were difficult to read from the girl, whirling in and out of focus. Was this a problem with her powers or a problem with the girl's emotions? Raven moved forward, intent on comforting the girl, when suddenly a pale hand was clutched about her throat. Raven was now having difficulty breathing; Stephanie had an iron grip. The blonde haired girl's face swam before Raven's eyes, blackness at the edge. Why weren't her powers working? She couldn't breathe. All she could do was hear Stephanie talking, in a low, muttering voice.

"You just had to choose him, didn't you, you little slut? Tim and I had a great thing going, and then you waltzed in and he broke up with me. And don't pretend to be little Miss Innocent. I know everything you've done. I read Dick's files." The room was blurring and her mind was going numb. Stephanie was holding too hard.

She couldn't breathe.

She couldn't…

But suddenly she could breathe. She took in huge gulps of air, feeding her starved lungs. Raven looked around for her savior, expecting to see Cassandra or Dick.

Tim was next to her, holding Stephanie by her arm. Stephanie looked scared witless. She began spouting out excuses.

"Oh my god, Tim, it was like a nightmare. I couldn't wake up! I didn't mean to hurt Raven. I think someone's controlling me…"

Obviously, not only was Tim not interested in her excuses, but he didn't believe them either.

"Get out now," Tim said in a harsh growl, sounding more animal than boy. Stephanie's eyes went wide at the sound of his voice and she leapt up, wrenching her arm from his grasp, and ran out of the room. Tim kicked the door closed. Then he looked over at Raven.

"Are you okay?" he asked the purple haired sorceress. Raven averted her gaze, remembering the changing room.

"I'm fine," she said, voice a monotone. Tim massaged his temples for a moment before saying, "Please, Raven, not the emotionless voice. Please," he asked, no, begged. Raven looked at him before saying, "What are you doing here anyway?"

"To answer your question."

Raven was annoyed by his answer. Her emotions were in overdrive right now, and if she didn't meditate, it was likely something would blow up.

"Which was?" Raven asked, now the one massaging her temples. Tim looked right at her and said, "Why I kissed you."

Raven's head shot up and she removed her hands from her temples. Why was this so important to her? She breathed deeply before saying, "Why?"

"I don't know."

Raven was dumbfounded. That was his answer? I don't know? How stupid could he get?

"I don't know?" Raven repeated slowly, sounding dangerously angry. Tim didn't seem afraid.

"I have absolutely no idea," he said. "It wasn't because I wanted to show up Steph…well, that was part of it. And it wasn't because I wanted to know what it felt like. And I wasn't a horny bastard until _after_ I kissed you, so that can't be it. So, I'm at a loss. All I know is that I did it, and I'm damn glad I did. I've been meaning to kiss you for weeks."

Raven stared, slightly openmouthed at the teenage boy standing before her. A slight blush painted his cheeks, making him seem even more endearing. She stood.

"You…you wanted to kiss me?" she stuttered out. She had _not_ been expecting that one. Tim nodded feebly.

Raven walked up to him, and Tim seemed to cringe back slightly, as if he expected her to hit him. She walked around him once, taking in his physical fitness and feeling slightly put out that he had put his dress shirt back on. She stopped behind him and he turned to her, waiting for her to speak.

Raven reached to the end of his shirt, which he had tucked back in. She unbuttoned the bottommost button. Tim didn't move but said, "Raven…what are you doing?"

"Shut up," she said, feeling slightly out of control. For some reason, her emotions had quieted down without any meditation. That was a first. Raven unbuttoned the next few buttons, moving up slightly. Having created an opening, Raven set her hand against his stomach again, feeling the involuntary lurch of his stomach. She flicked her eyes up to meet his, and then continued to unbutton the shirt, until it just hung on him loosely. Softly, Raven pushed Tim's chest with both hands, causing him to fall back onto the bed. Tim watched her with wide eyes.

"Lay back," Raven said quietly, splaying her fingers across Tim's chest. She sat on the bed and put his head in her lap. She shivered. She hoped that if she connected herself to him, then her powers might stay under control.

Moving her hands from his chest to his head, Raven stroked the back of one hand across the skin of his cheek, causing him to look up at her questioningly. She closed her eyes and moved her hands down, scraping his jaw. She lightly brushed her fingers against the pale skin of his neck, and then moved her hands to his chest, her favorite spot. Raven traced the slight muscles and contours that were all over the torso. She reached his abs before she realized that she couldn't reach any farther. She allowed her hands to travel back up before removing them completely. Tim opened his eyes, from where he had seemingly been sleeping. He moved his arm and quickly propped himself up on it. He reached out one hand and brushed his fingers lightly over her lips. Then he reached out again and pulled her face to him, connecting their lips, in a slower, perhaps even more passionate kiss than last time.

And nothing blew up.

Raven pushed the rest of his shirt off of him, and he kissed her harder.

And nothing blew up.

Abruptly, she was on top of him, her hands on his shirtless chest, her breathing uneven. His hands were down her dress, lightly touching the soft skin of her breasts. Raven felt a wave of ecstasy, and Tim pulled at the straps of her dress, tugging them downward, allowing more access.

Then, there was a sharp knock on the door, which was then pushed open. Dick stood in the doorway, mouth half-open in surprise. Raven quickly jerked the straps of her dress back up and Tim casually removed his hands from Raven.

"This is…awkward," Dick said, obviously trying to ease the tension. Raven sighed and stood up, allowing Tim to do the same. He grabbed his shirt just as Dick said, "You guys didn't…"

"No!" both teenagers yelled at the same time, giving dirty glances at the guy that was supposedly their friend. Dick chuckled under his breath, his eyebrows rising in an obvious gesture of skepticism.

"Right. Um," Dick began, glancing over at Raven, "Bruce wants us down in the cave. He's having Alfred send the guests home." The two teens nodded and began to follow Dick out the room, but the boy turned and said, "Oh, and do you guys know why Steph is crying all over my bed?" Raven's eyes widened but then she felt a slight hatred for the girl that had tried to hurt her. Looking over at Tim, Raven saw a cold, steely look on his face.

"None of your business, Dick," he said, before walking off, leaving Raven and Dick behind in the dust. Dick looked at the dark girl for answers. Raven rolled her eyes and said, "Stephanie is pissed at Tim, so the obvious decision is to attempt to strangle me. That didn't go over that well with Tim."

A small smile crossed Dick's face before he said, "Yeah, you two looked pretty cozy on that bed." Her body froze up and she felt a slight tinge of embarrassment, but even more anger. Before she had registered what she was doing, she had slapped Dick. "You don't know me anymore, Dick. Don't interfere with things that you have no understanding of. It was nothing, just a simple mistake. It won't happen again." She stormed off, feeling slightly sad at what she had said, but what else was she to do? She couldn't show weakness; she just didn't do that. And admitting that she had feelings for Tim was out of the question.

Hypocrite.

The word echoed inside of her head, filling her entire being. She did exactly what Tim had done to her. She banished the thought from her mind, instead focusing on Batman.

She had reached the cave, and went straight to the changing room, shivering when she entered. Tim smiled at her from his locker. She crossed to the girl's side, where Batgirl, Spoiler, and Onyx also kept their stuff. She had only met Onyx once, as working with Batman only seemed to be a part-time thing, but had liked the girl well enough. Apparently, she meditated as well.

Raven changed quickly, mind reverting back to thoughts of Tim and her hypocrisy. She realized that she would either need to show her emotions to Tim and the others completely, or make sure that nothing happened with Tim or anyone else. She wasn't sure she could do the last one.

She exited the changing room. She was apparently the last one to be changed, as Batman and his three cohorts were already surrounding the computer monitor. Stephanie wasn't there.

Oracle was on the screen, obviously explaining something she had found.

"…and it's been played on every station in the Gotham area for the last thirty minutes," Oracle said, finishing up her report.

"Play it," was all Batman had to say. Oracle nodded and played a video clip.

The Joker's face appeared on the screen. He was staring at a camera, adjusting its position. Then he spoke, a maniac cackle escaping his lips.

"Helloooooooo, Gotham! It's me! I know, I know, you've all missed me dearly, so here I am to bring some of that Joker fun back into your lives! I have with me the Commissioner! Welcome, Commish!"

The screen rotated to show Jim Gordon tied to a chair, with two rabid hyenas on leashes dying to get at him.

"These are my friends Bud and Lou. They're here to keep the Commissioner from getting bored. So, I propose a game!"

The camera changed back to a view of the sadistic Joker, who was completely enjoying this moment of triumph. He had captured the Commissioner, after all.

"I will exchange someone in the Batfamily for Gordon here. But, there are three conditions! One, it cannot be Bat-guano! Two, they must be eighteen or younger! And three, for every hour they don't do the exchange, someone will die! Doesn't that sound like fun?" He smiled a wide, fanatic grin that made even Raven shiver. Something told her that the psychosis was deep in this one.

"Batsy, you can find me at my favoritist hideout! Well, that's all for now, folks!"

The screen went black after some minor tinkering by the Joker.

Oracle returned on the screen and said, "Please, Bruce, you have to save my dad. He's not the same cop he used to be." Batman nodded and said, "I'll do my best, Barbara." Then Oracle vanished, replaced by the bat symbol. Everyone was quiet.

"I could go," Nightwing spoke up, "He doesn't know my age exactly. I only turned nineteen a couple of weeks ago."

A pang hit Raven and her insides twirled. She had missed Dick's birthday. She wondered how the celebrations had gone. She re-focused and Batman was shaking his head. "No, he might know or have some way of figuring it out. We need to follow his damned demands until we have the Commissioner. Cassandra, how old are you?"

"Eighteen," she said quietly, her words coming out slowly and halted. She looked up at Batman and said, "Could I…go?" Batman shook his head yet again and said, "I think we should send Raven." Obviously, he knew about Dick discovering her identity. Well, he was a detective. The World's Greatest, in fact.

Raven looked at him with startled eyes and said, "Why?"

"He doesn't know about you, at least not much, which makes surprise on our side." Raven nodded to this, but Robin said, "Rae…you can't be serious." She turned her hard, emotionless gaze on him and said, "I have to."

"Good," Batman said. Then he turned to Robin, "Drive her to the abandoned circus and then wait. I'll be there soon." Robin hesitated before he agreed, mostly out of obligation. Raven knew that he had sworn an oath to fight crime alongside Batman, and she doubted he would quit now, even under the worst stress.

Robin hopped on the R-Cycle and handed the second helmet to Raven without a word. She sat and pulled the helmet on, just barely getting her arms around Tim in time. She was nervous, after the last time on the motorcycle. She held on for dear life.

The streets rushed by again, filling Raven's head with emotions, but she was too preoccupied right then. She activated the in-helmet headset.

"Tim?" she asked, her voice monotone.

"What?" he asked, voice sharp. She flinched, loosening her arms from around him slightly.

"Are you alright?" she asked, worried about the Teen Wonder. She felt sadness and confusion radiating from the teenage boy.

"No."

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"Everything," he said and for some reason, Raven felt hurt.

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The darkness of the room was overwhelming, with the only light coming from a computer monitor, at which a man sat. He stared at what appeared to be a live video feed – obviously hacked – of Wayne Manor.

Of course, he knew who Batman was. He used ninety percent of his brain, for goodness sake! He would never tell, though. No, that would ruin the superhero community, and the interesting tactics that the crazies in Gotham used in an attempt to discover his identity.

A girl stepped forward, through the dark. He made no acknowledgment of her appearance, but just waited until she spoke.

"Did it work, Daddy?"

Her voice was calm and high-pitched, her ruby red lips shining in the gloom. The man turned to her and said, "No, my daughter, it didn't. Somehow, she snapped out of it."

The girl seemed surprised, her mouth opening in shock. "Did she tell?" She sounded like a four year old.

"Oh, she tried, but why would they believe her?"

There was silence for a moment before he said, in a self-assured voice that promised results, "We'll just have to try again, Rose."

And the attempted murderess smiled at her father, with whom she killed with. Turning back to the screen, Deathstroke the Terminator smiled as well.

They tried to force the duo to appear, to attempt to kill the other Titans, but a few moments of hacking into Batman's mainframe, which was terribly difficult, and the truth was known.

Raven was alive, and Deathstroke knew she wouldn't go down without a fight – which he was prepared to give.

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I know, you're thinking "_**Finally!**_" Well, so am I, so I hope you enjoy.

Review!

Titangirl797


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